2016 Domaine of the Bee 2016

Retail

£25.00

Member

£20.00

Case

£150.00

Case (Member)

£120.00

Varieties

Grenache

Carignan

Vintage

2016

Country

France

Region

Roussillon

Alcohol

15%

Bottle size

750 mL

Drinking Window

2018 - 2028

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Awards

Title

Silver

Year

2019

Event

International Wine Challenge

Description

A really good year for us, and one of which we are very proud. This is gloriously rich and dark with layers of classic herbs from the Roussillon.

Eyes

A deep dark red

Nose

A booming nose of mature dark spiced fruit compote, with loads of ripe fig, damson and black cherry aromas, and just a suggestion of oak.

Mouth

Rich and silky mouthfeel just oozing dark fruit, wild herbs and sweet cinnamon and a long finish.

Body

full

Winemaking Notes

We have now been working with Jean-Marc and his team at Chateau St Roch for 5 years now, and we are improving our winemaking all the time. All are grapes for Domaine of the Bee were hand harvested, and then hand-sorted at the winery to ensure we only chose the healthiest and ripest grapes. The majority of our Carignan is fermented in a stainless steel tank, except for 2 barrels-worth which was cold-macerated, as was all of the Grenache in upturned demi-muids (500L barrels) with the ends taken out, before being warmed up, inoculated with yeast, and gently punched down 2-3 times a day. After pressing, all of the wine was drained into a mixture of 500L and 225L barrels, approximately a quarter of which are new, and left to mature for 14 months.

Growing Conditions

Hail and frost severely reduced crops in several regions. But the the Roussillon region was very lucky. A very hot June and July quickly ripened our grapes, and a much cooler August helped to retain acidity and freshness. Despite a slight lack of water and smaller-sized grapes, this harvest generated very tasty wines.

Food Pairing

Great with grilled red meat, hearty stews, barbequed food, and hard cheeses.